Tag Archives: negotiations

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the transpiring of which the acclaimed film Thirteen Days concerns itself, the following exchange occurs between President John Kennedy and Air Force Chief Of Staff General Curtis LeMay:

General Curtis LeMay: You’re in a pretty bad fix, Mr. President.

President Kennedy: What did you say?

General Curtis LeMay: You’re in a pretty bad fix.

President Kennedy: Well, maybe you haven’t noticed you’re in it with me.

Intriguingly, today’s Republicans operate with the apparent conviction that when the nation faces a potential self-induced fiscal cliff immolation of the American economy, or a catastrophic default on payment to the nation’s creditors, President Obama (and Democrats) are in a pretty bad fix, apparently, with scant attention to the fact that as well as ideological warriors against Barack Obama they are citizens of the United States too, and by inclusion, in a pretty bad fix themselves.

Or are they? In fact, are they still with us? Arguably, they have emigrated to AynRandistan or Murdochia or Corporatania and retain no evident sympathy nor concern nor responsibility for the fate of the citizens of the nation they have left behind. One may reasonably contend that in creating the various crisis situations from fiscal cliffs to debt crises they indeed are acting in manifest antagonism to the interests of their former country. In these various invented crisis-circumstances Democrats and President Obama negotiate on behalf of the well-being of the United States and the welfare of her citizens, attempting to shield them from the consequences of jeopardy Republicans willfully created, while their Republican counterparts in negotiation negotiate on behalf of the exotic domains they now inhabit.

While one could point out how demonstrably contrary to the interests of the nation Republicans’ irresponsible and reckless wars, deficit building and deregulatory absolutism have been over recent years, one cannot help but acknowledge that since the election of Barack Obama Republicans’ interests and the nations’ have fully diverged. Suddenly, it is incumbent upon Democrats alone to protect the nation from debt default or financial collapse, and consequently, secure the retirement and investment savings of millions of Americans who would see them devastated should such a manufactured kerfuffle send Wall Street into a fiery nosedive. Not Republicans’ problem, those rhapsodic newly naturalized citizens of The Republic of Norquistalonia.

It is now solely incumbent upon the Democratic Party to ensure, and to attempt to advance the quality of the nation’s infrastructure, physical, educational and technological. It is singularly the responsibility of Democrats now to summon sufficient revenue to fund the American government, at a size and and at a proficiency American citizens prefer, and in fact demand. Obama must offer concessions in exchange for cooperative protection of the American safety net from the Republican Party.

Democrats and the president of the United States must negotiate with ostensibly other Americans and offer them concessions in order to induce them away from legislative recalcitrance and obdurateness that will cause harm, to the economy generally, and to the jobs and to the income of putative fellow citizens. It is now a concession to the President and to the Democratic Party if Republicans agree to continuation of long-term unemployment benefits for out of work American citizens; and it is considered a bargaining sop offered to President Obama and members of his party if Social Security benefits are not decreased or if Medicare is protected from disembowelment. Republicans negotiate on behalf of their private country, a symbolic Libertarian paradise floating among the clouds, or an actual land mass of happily offshored Republicans and plutocrats in the vicinity of Brando’s Polynesian island perhaps.

No person alive can credibly argue Republicans will not fight to the death on behalf of banks and insurance companies, for the perquisites of petroleum giants and private equity barons. Where the entire lot of them resides in terms of nationality is a question for serious consideration now. One can wish, or perhaps fantasize that Republicans once again will embrace responsibility for their native land, and if the fecundity of their secession petitions are to be regarded credulously, I can’t claim persuasively I will actually miss them if they finally do physically pull up stakes and bolt. Arrivederci. And Viva la Limbaughland!